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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408090">Tears of Joy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_is_this_hell/pseuds/what_is_this_hell'>what_is_this_hell</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians &amp; Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Established Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Future Fic, Gen, Happy Nico di Angelo, M/M, Mentioned Annabeth Chase, Nico di Angelo &amp; Percy Jackson Friendship, Older Characters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:07:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,399</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22408090</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_is_this_hell/pseuds/what_is_this_hell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico di’Angelo cries. (One-Shot)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo &amp; Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Will Solace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>164</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tears of Joy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Just a short, sweet thing I decided to write. Hope you like it! Make sure to comment anything at all, I love comments.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Percy Jackson staggered forward.</p><p>Just a moment ago, he’d felt sick. The aching chill that went with shadow traveling was something he would never get used to. It prodded his bones like a dentist picking at teeth. Shrieking darkness enveloping his vision, forcing his senses into a panic. Gripping onto the only solid body nearby for dear life.</p><p>He was forced to recall a specific consuming vat that reminded him of this. Cold, uncaring, un-natural. Poisonous. The thought was a painful one. It all went away when warmth hit his face.</p><p>Their feet touched down on grass. He could hear the ocean from where they stood. The familiar sights of his childhood were just in front of him.</p><p>Carefully, Percy peeled his hand away from Nico’s arm. His grip had been painful and it showed in the splotchy red fingerprints that were left behind. Nico didn’t acknowledge this movement.</p><p>The sky was covering them in morning sunlight. A breeze from the beach moved up to ruffle Percy’s hair. <em>Welcome back.</em> His skin tingeled.</p><p>It had been a trip, considering the extensive horrors Percy had faced before. Not that they hadn’t gotten side tracked. The original time set was three days. For about five, they were on the run.</p><p>Nico, who he admittedly hadn’t seen in close to a year, showed up in New Rome. Some frenzied Hell Hounds. Confronting a deity. Annabeth hadn’t liked it, of course, but what could a little side-quest hurt? Things never go exactly to plan.</p><p>Two weeks and here they were. Camp. “Let’s go home.” He’d said. The smell of strawberries pulled him back and back and back.</p><p>Two young campers passed by. They were wielding bows and arrows, enjoying mild conversation. Their eyes went wide when they saw the tattered men in front of them.</p><p>“Get Chiron.” Ordered Nico. Before Percy could speak the kids scrambled away.</p><p>Nico stood next to him, clutching the hilt of his Stygian Iron sword. His knees looked a little wobbly. He was drained from the exertion of his power, but didn’t show it much. It wasn’t the sudden visit that surprised Percy the most about his friend, he realized. It was how much Nico di’Angelo had changed.</p><p>He was eighteen now. It was almost a surreal thought. The kid he knew, who he’d rescued all those years ago, and fought by the side of. Who carried around Mythomagic cards and nearly burst with excitement when he first learned the camp director was the god Dionysus. That kid was an adult.</p><p>He was taller, too. Like a spring had been pulled in the back of his heel. His avatar jacket now rode up his wrists and waist, but he still wore it like a second skin. Percy hadn’t measured them or anything, but he was wary to admit Nico may be half an inch taller then him.</p><p>And he looked better, all things considered. The olive complexion had mostly returned to his features. He wasn’t all skin and bones anymore, though lean, his body filled out healthily again. His arms were still adorned with visible white scars. From <em>that place</em> no doubt, which always drew a cloud back into Percy’s thoughts. But they were healed and understandable. Percy has more then a few himself, as does Annabeth, and many more Half-Bloods. It’s a birthright.</p><p>“Can you walk back?” Asked Percy. Nico gave him a look.</p><p>His face is expressionless, but his eyes are a swirl of emotions. He’s always been difficult to read. Complicated. Not like Percy.</p><p>     “No.” Said Nico after a moment of pause, turning back towards camp. Guess they’d be waiting for Chiron to get to them.</p><p>They weren’t in dire need of medical attention. Despite some bloody scrapes, ripped pieces of clothing, and their grave desires for showers and a long nap, they’d experienced worse conditions. Both of them knew this. Neither complained.</p><p>The silence that ensued was content. At least on Percy’s side. Nico looked slightly tense. His fingers wrapped around his sword’s hilt harshly. He now held a slight frown. A couple of demigods were heading forwards them.</p><p>The horizon had a serene atmosphere. It’s misty, morning glow brought him to New Rome with Annabeth. Life was the most consistently quiet it had ever been for Percy there. Not to mention waking up next to Chase every morning. She was still engraned in the back of his brain, like always. He was almost giddy with anticipation when imagining his return. Wrapping his arms around her. Taking in the scent of her curls.</p><p>Yeah. Annabeth definetly wouldn’t be happy with him; but he still couldn’t wait to see her. Whether she punched him or not.</p><p>Some of the campers were close enough to make out now. A crowd of older half-bloods, most definetly having caught wind of the commotion from the two demigods who were alerting Chiron of their arrival. Camp was sparse, considering it was September. The faces Percy recognized were few and far between. It really has been awhile.</p><p>“Nico!” People at the front of the scattered assembly were pushed aside as Percy’s eyes immediately searched for the source of the yell.</p><p>His gaze landed on Will Solace.</p><p><em>They’re dating</em>, Percy recalled. He’d heard Will and Nico had been a consistent thing since Nico had turned sixteen, though he was never around long enough to see the couple do anything more then playfully bicker. In fact, he was surprised when Nico didn’t reel away from friendly touch anymore like it was some sort of plague. He was reminded of this when Will reached his destination. As soon as Nico clumsily dropped his sword, they collided.</p><p>Will wrapped his arms around Nico like he was gripping life itself, the only thing keeping him out of the Underworld. Usually when hugged, di’Angelo went limp. This time he reciprocated almost automatically. He clenched the back of Will’s shirt, face finally shedding some light of intensity.</p><p>“You took so long.” Mumbled Will. His tone was choked.</p><p>Nico’s face pressed against Will’s neck, hiding behind the creases in the son of Apollo’s hoodless sweatshirt. They stood there for a second, and as a medic tried to pull Percy out of the encounter to check his wounds, he found that watching the interaction was almost euphoric.</p><p>Then Nico’s shoulders began to shudder.</p><p>Percy’s eyes widened. He was crying. Why was this so surprising? Will didn’t seem phased. He had a determined sort of expression as he brought a hand to the back of Nico’s head. He didn’t speak. Just closed his eyes. Neither were near letting go.</p><p><em>Why was this surprising?</em> He questioned again. He racked his brain, trying to assemble together the amount of times he’d seen Nico di’Angelo shed a tear. When Percy had told him Bianca died. That was one. Though the tears were filled with rage, and he’d disappeared right after the encounter. In the labyrinth, when Nico finally spoke to Bianca’s ghost. He could remember how heart wrenching the moment was to watch, simply by looking back. And, finally, when him and Annabeth were hanging over the pit, about to fall into their worst nightmares.</p><p>That was— that was it. Though he was the youngest out of them, it’d been five years since Percy had witnessed him cry; and few and far between the tears had been. Those three instances were short, un-feeling, and horrid on Nico’s end.</p><p>Yet here he was, crying in Will Solace’s arms like it was nothing, holding him with intensity. He muttered something unintelligible and Will smiled loosely.</p><p>Then, he pulled back with a laugh. Tears in his eyes, smiling, he placed a kiss on Will’s left cheek and Percy was left dumbfounded.</p><p><em>Tears of joy</em>. He was crying out of happiness. And at this point, so was Will, who couldn’t stop himself from giving off a radiant glow. It was something Percy never expected to see. Something he never imagined he would, in this pure of a form. Nico di’Angelo happy. Nico di’Angelo <em>this</em> happy.</p><p>     He could easily put on a cold expression, but this— this was more. His chest warmed. He could feel the smile spreading across his face, just as Chiron approached.</p><p>Nico glanced over then, catching his eye, and as Percy sent him a well-meaning thumbs up, he was greeted with a nice middle finger flipped in his direction.</p><p>Well. It was still Nico.</p>
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